Transport for London blasted for plans to spend £2.5MILLION of taxpayer cash on diversity training
Up to £2.5million of public cash is set to be spent on equality and inclusion training by Transport for London.
A contract tender put out last week reveals chiefs are looking for a firm to deliver training courses that “help TfL address inequalities.”
The move has been slammed by former Tory mayoral candidate Susan Hall who said she was “utterly disgusted” by it.
However, TfL hit back, saying it was unlikely that all of the £2.5million would be spent and the cash would be contributed by a number of public bodies.
TfL has been slammed for the contract tender
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According to the tender, the winning contractor must “embed an inclusive culture, and put people, customers and colleagues at the heart of decisions.”
Hall told The Sun: “Diversity and inclusion is obviously an important issue but the sums being spent on it these days are eye-watering.
“When people in real hardship are waiting for new trams and trains, and having to pay to drive to work, I am incensed this is where TfL’s money is going.
“The war on the motorist is funding schemes like this – and it’s affecting the poorest people in London. I’m utterly disgusted.”
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Susan Hall lost to Sadiq Khan in the Mayoral election
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A TfL spokesperson told GB News: “This training will support tens of thousands of staff across several organisations, including the Met Police, the Department of Transport and other Greater London Authority bodies for four years.
“As public organisations, representing millions of people from all walks of life, it is right that organisations are inclusive and ensure people are treated fairly in order to better serve the community.”
They added it was unlikely that all of the £2.5million would be spent, the cash would be contributed by a number of public bodies and that TfL is handling the procurement for this tender on behalf of the other agencies.
The public body is already more than £15billion in debt following mounting losses – with arrears growing by £6billion alone since Labour mayor Khan took office in 2016.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan with the new Overground Map
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It comes after TfL spent £6million rebranding its Overground train lines to Lioness, Mildmay, Windrush, Weaver, Suffragette and Liberty.
Speaking at the launch, Mayor Sadiq Khan said: “I’m really excited to be announcing six distinct lines now have six distinct names and six distinct colours. The London Overground is now a massive success. Three million passengers use these lines every week.
“We’ve now got six different lines and 113 stations. Finding your way around the London Overground is a nightmare. We’re making it easier to way find, making it easier to go from Croydon to Enfield.
“We’ve engaged with customers, with local communities, with historians, with industry experts to get the six best possible names and I’m incredibly proud to announce them today.”
